After strong performances at the Fell relays in the last two years Bingley Ladies were given two ‘reserved team’ places for WV40 and W OPEN teams. Mid Wales is a long way and a big ask but after checking there were enough runners, with fell skills and experience, available and willing, I accepted the two reserved team places. This was mid August, over two months before the event. At least we weren’t expected to do any recces, in fact recces were not allowed as the race was on private land, and all teams would be in the same position, running in a new, unfamiliar location.
The British Fell & Hill Relay is a 4 leg event for a team of 6, with all Legs going from the same point, like the outline of a ‘butterfly’. Legs 1 & 4 are short (<10k) for Solo runners, and flagged for runners 16 and over. Legs 2 & 3 are longer (10-12km) and run in pairs. Maps are issued in advance except for the paired ‘navigation’ leg where runners are only given a map after they start running.
Fast forward to two days before the event, and life and illness, meant I had just rolled in my last reserve. Driving from Jo Buckley’s cottage in the Conwy valley to the event on the Saturday morning we still had two teams in place. The weather was cool, cloudy and breezy but dry. The excitement was building. Heading inland from Dolgellau the road climbed up over a col before dropping into Cwm Cerist, the event valley giving us our first glimpses of the super steep mountain ‘bowl’ that encompassed the event, the excitement now morphing into pre-event nerves.
Teams were quickly registered and the tent (thanks to the Jebbs) and Bingley Harriers Feather flag set up so we had some shelter and could all find each other. With 190 teams running there would be approaching 1500 people milling about.
The relay started at 11 am with Vic Wilkinson leading off for the W40 team and Cheryl Jepson for the WOpen team on Leg 1 (4.2km, 513m ascent). I didn’t get chance to speak to Vic before she ran and knew she had been tusselling with a ‘back of the leg’ injury earlier in the month. She was happy to run but I wasn’t sure if she would be ‘holding’ back, but it didn’t feel like it. She was 4th Lady overall and 1st V40 lady in just under 40 minutes.
It was Cheryl’s first fell relay; she has done some tough fell races and I was confident of her abilities, but she was nervous at the start – who wouldn’t be! The team side of a relay puts another layer of pressure on, on top of the unfamiliar, super steep Welsh climbs and descents, and Cheryl did a great job, getting safely round.
Cheryl did admit afterwards to feeling ‘out of her comfort zone’, but knowing she had support and confidence around her, and wanting to support the team, she was willing to take the challenge. Thankyou Cheryl.

Ruth Thackray and Jo Buckley took over from Vic on Leg 2 (11.1km and 758m ascent) for the W40 team. Plenty of fell and relay experience here, and once up the initial steep climb both enjoyed the grassy running above the crags of Maen Du (674m) and Cribin Fawr (659m) before the steep but largely grassy and runnable descent, along the valley side, and across the valley back to the event field and the changeover. As third fastest W40 pair they kept the team in the top spot.
Angela Curtis and Suzie Reid were on Leg 2 for the W Open team, and equally enjoyed their run. It was Angela’s first relay too, using her Lakeland experience and Ironman fitness to good effect, Angela was the stronger runner and Suzie did a great job of keeping up, bringing them in only a minute slower than Ruth & Jo.

While our runners were out on Leg 1 and 2 Kate Farley arrived, partly for the event and partly for her work in Wales in the following week. Kate, as a reserve, had stepped in on Thursday when Jenni Boocock had to pull out. Some fresh tick bites had led to a flare up of Lyme symptoms, antibiotics prescribed again, and strong advice against any strenuous activity. However Kate had also had a bad week, with diarrhoea and little sleep for the last three days, she looked pale, drawn and exhausted. Kate and I both knew immediately she wasn’t fit to run or go up on the hill. As the team was already out on the course I quickly arranged for Richard Thackray to run our last leg – this meant the team would be re-classified as a ‘non-competitive’ but it meant the 5 ladies who were there could complete their race. Thankyou Richard (and Ruth and Mac) for helping keep the team together and helping us finish the team outing – there are many things to understand, experience and get used to in running a fell relay and it is very important that our runners get opportunities to build their knowledge and experience so they are ready and comfortable to compete when needed.
Lesley Watson and Jo Henry took over for the navigation leg (11km, 719m ascent) for the W40 team. Not long into her run Lesley realised a previous injury she thought had settled clearly hadn’t and running at any pace on the flat or down was painful. Jo could see her limping and had to rein in her pace. Lesley’s world record cycling legs came into their own climbing the steep hills where she took the lead. However the ‘nav’ leg had long stretches of tussocky running, and a couple of miles ‘descent’ towards the end neither of which were easy for Lesley, although she was still managing to run across the valley bottom at the end. Thank you to Lesley for hanging on in there and to Jo for her support.
Amicia Lee & I (Becky Weight) were on the ‘nav’ leg for our W Open team and, with a strong run from Angela and Suzie, we were pleased to be off before the mass start. By this time, having watched the leading teams heading out and returning on the opposite side of the valley, we knew the start and the end of the nav leg. We simply had to fill in the 5 miles and 8 checkpoints in between. Fortunately, Amicia is a competition orienteer and has younger faster legs than me, so she picked up all the work leading, navigating, dibbing, pulling me along, 'encouraging' us past other pairs (we passed several!). I was simply in ‘follow as fast as ever you can’ mode. Amicia commented after, ‘I kept checking back and seeing you right behind me, and thinking we can pass all those teams ahead 😂 I think we overtook every team we saw out on the course which is a fantastic result!’
For me, I absolutely loved being in the team and was pleased with my run. I was initially a reserve, as now, as a V65, my pace is not good enough to be a first choice for our teams, but I am a ‘safe pair of legs on the hills’ and have enough experience to slot in where ever needed, maybe not fast but keeps the team together.

And onto Leg 4, another short sharp Solo leg (4.6km, 481m ascent). Donna Edmondson-Booker completed the W40 team. She had arrived at the event the night before and risen early to ‘wander’ round her leg – ‘only’ 3 miles but it had taken her the better part of 2 hours without the benefit of event day flags, marshals, excitement and adrenaline. Lesley and Jo were in from the ‘nav’ leg well before the 3.30 cut-off giving Donna a clear run out. She had a strong run in just under 48 minutes, bringing our W40 team home in 6th place (137/188 overall) which is a great result and I know everyone gave the most they could on the day.
Amicia and I had a great run and would have got back in before the cut off to tag Riachard for Leg 4 if they hadn’t brought if forward 15 minutes. Richard had a good run finishing in just over 47 minutes, a similar time to Donna, and a ‘mid-pack’ result in the W Open category. Well done Richard 😉. In the Provisional Results the W Open team time was 5:09:57 which put us, as a ‘non-competitive’ team, in 31st place in W Open category and 162nd overall. Sadly in the Final results our W Open team have been re-badged as DNF; Richard is listed as a team member but his time is not listed.

No medals for 2025 but a whole list of achievements, ‘above & beyond’ efforts, and super experiences :
12 ladies to mid Wales, and two fell relay teams, at the British Fell Relay Championships 2025
11 ladies raced in a new area, with no recces, on seriously steep, Welsh mountains. All enjoyed the event, overcoming initial concerns and rising, fantastically, to the challenge on the day.
Some top performances, a first W40 for Vic on Leg 1, Jo B and Ruth holding the team top spot on L2
6th place for our W40 team – a strong result
Two F Senior ladies on their first Fell Relay – Cheryl J and Angela C. Lots to learn. Well done ladies.
Some ‘above & beyond’ efforts and support despite injury and illness – Thankyou to Lesley and Kate
Top notch support from families and friends – Mac Thackray being a key cheerleader, and Richard T for running to give us a ‘team’ finish.
And thanks to those who would have made it had life and bodies allowed – Jenni Boocock, Kate Farley, Mary Green and Denise Wright.
And for a number of us, we wrapped it up by staying Friday and / or Saturday night at Jo Buckley’s fabulous family cottage, high on the side of the Conwy valley, which made the weekend an extra special treat. Thankyou to Jo and family for hosting us.
The full results and official photos are available through the Event website https://www.meirionnydd.com/ukarelays or directly on Sportident.
Our photos are on the Bingley Harriers Team App Gallery – thanks to Donna, Jo B, Jo H, Ruth, Video Olga, and me.
October is Fell Relay month – the dates for next year 2026 are already out :
Sat 3 Oct Hodgson Brothers Mountain Relay, Patterdale
Sat 17 Oct UKA British Fell Relays, hosted by Todmorden Harriers
Put them in your diary now and get ready for a fabulous team day out.